Bonus blog coverage

Tuesday

Aug 31, 2010 at 12:01 AMAug 31, 2010 at 10:16 AM

Soon after I finished my inaugural column of the 2010 high school football season, I remembered a directive from sports editor Kirk Wessler that preps-related content is now supposed to be more concise than before. We will be putting more content on pjstar.com and also spreading it around our print product.

You may have noticed our new high school feature, Preps Daily. What we call a "rail" -- a strip of newsy items down one side of a page or the other -- will be your daily source for news and notes on high school sports.

Anyway, in an effort to pare down my column to its new parameters, a bunch of interesting stuff didn't make the cut. But with unlimited space in cyberspace, I posted it here ...

Observations, anecdotes and analysis following Week 1 of the 2010 high school football season. ....

It’s only because of alphabetical order, but how about Manual on top of the Mid-State 6 football standings? Friday’s 32-7 victory over Olympia was Manual’s first since Aug. 29, 2008. “We’re pretty excited,” Rams coach Dan Fauser said. “This group has had to go through a lot of growing pains. After losing 17 straight games, I’m not going to shout. But we’re so much better than we have been. We have some skills kids and we finally have some depth.” ... With two winnable games on tap, could Manual be 3-0 going into a Week 4 showdown with Central? ...Former Illinois player and Peoria Pirates coach Tony Johnson was patronizing the Malone Field concession stand Friday and lamenting the lack of radio broadcasts on the air this fall. “(WBYS in Canton) is the only one doing games this year,” said Johnson, who used to provide insightful color commentary for WMBD. “I’ve thought about buying my own radio equipment and doing games on the Internet.”

Speaking of Malone, Metamora has made yet another improvement to the area’s finest field. Synthetic turf has been installed on the home sideline between the playing surface and the track. This area had constantly been beaten to a pulp by players on the sidelines and marching bands, but now is a natural-looking, mud-free collar to the field. The job was done by Peoria-based Turf Solutions Group, the same company building Metamora Fields Golf Club. ... And speaking of concessions, Metamora announced it sold 800 chops, 240 dogs and 220 brats Friday. ... He’s on the roster, but you won’t see Metamora junior Vince Fraboni on the field. The two-way standout had recent surgery to correct a fractured vertebrae and is out for the season. ... For more on Metamora kicker Brennan VanMieghem and his state record, check out my blog at www.pjstar.com/prepsplus. ....

It’s doubtful there will be another game all season with an ending wackier than that pulled off by Quincy Notre Dame. The M-S 6 favorites, ranked No. 1 in 4A, scored twice in the final 53 seconds to beat Hannibal, Mo. 36-32. The Raiders converted a 13-yard passing TD, a 2-point conversion and recovered an onside kick. Then, from fourth-and-6 with 11 seconds left, converted a 44-yard TD for the win. For a full account of the craziness, visit www.ihsa.org/scores. ... QND wasn’t the only No. 1 tested Friday. 8A No. 1 Maine South lost 29-18 to unranked Schaumburg and 6A No. 1 New Lenox-Providence lost 16-14 to unranked Chicago Morgan Park. ...

Washington showed good balance — 238 yard passing, 208 rushing — in its 35-16 win over Central. But the Panthers also showed what they could be missing most this year: a kicking game. After five TDs, Washington converted just one kicking PAT. ... A 61-yard TD reception against Washington confirmed the word on Central senior Deontray Dorsey. He’s a high school version of Devin Hester. “He’s a threat to score every time he gets the ball,” Lions coach Tim Thornton said of the slippery wideout/kick returner. ... Traditionally known for its clock-eating drives, Richwoods looked diversified and deadly in its 53-21 win over Pekin. Eight players scored on plays that ranged from 9 to 65 yards, with four of those 36 yards or more. “With our speed, we have several kids who can go all the way when they touch it,” Knights coach Roland Brown said. ...

Limestone coach Rich Turner seems to have a good sense of humor. The Ohio native laughs a lot when he talks, and the new Rockets coach had plenty to be happy about this week. “The kids were hitting pretty hard,” Turner said after the Rockets beat Notre Dame 21-12. “And that score doesn’t reflect the game. We dominated them.” ... Speaking of Limestone, is Dunlap the new Limestone? Or maybe the new Pekin? The Eagles threw it 25 times in a 35-7 win over IVC. “We want to be 50/50 (run-pass),” Eagles coach Brett Cazalet said. “But we’re confident with either. I’m not the least bit hesitant to put the ball in the air.” ... In contrast, Morton ran it 69 times in its 32-8 win over Normal U-High. The Potters moved the chains 29 times, the most first downs of any M-S6/M-I team in Week 1. “There were a lot of 4-yard plays and a cloud of dust,” said Morton coach Jason Thiry, who got his first win as a varsity coach.

Soon after I finished my inaugural column of the 2010 high school football season, I remembered a directive from sports editor Kirk Wessler that preps-related content is now supposed to be more concise than before. We will be putting more content on pjstar.com and also spreading it around our print product.

You may have noticed our new high school feature, Preps Daily. What we call a "rail" -- a strip of newsy items down one side of a page or the other -- will be your daily source for news and notes on high school sports.

Anyway, in an effort to pare down my column to its new parameters, a bunch of interesting stuff didn't make the cut. But with unlimited space in cyberspace, I posted it here ...

Observations, anecdotes and analysis following Week 1 of the 2010 high school football season. ....

It’s only because of alphabetical order, but how about Manual on top of the Mid-State 6 football standings? Friday’s 32-7 victory over Olympia was Manual’s first since Aug. 29, 2008. “We’re pretty excited,” Rams coach Dan Fauser said. “This group has had to go through a lot of growing pains. After losing 17 straight games, I’m not going to shout. But we’re so much better than we have been. We have some skills kids and we finally have some depth.” ... With two winnable games on tap, could Manual be 3-0 going into a Week 4 showdown with Central? ...Former Illinois player and Peoria Pirates coach Tony Johnson was patronizing the Malone Field concession stand Friday and lamenting the lack of radio broadcasts on the air this fall. “(WBYS in Canton) is the only one doing games this year,” said Johnson, who used to provide insightful color commentary for WMBD. “I’ve thought about buying my own radio equipment and doing games on the Internet.”

Speaking of Malone, Metamora has made yet another improvement to the area’s finest field. Synthetic turf has been installed on the home sideline between the playing surface and the track. This area had constantly been beaten to a pulp by players on the sidelines and marching bands, but now is a natural-looking, mud-free collar to the field. The job was done by Peoria-based Turf Solutions Group, the same company building Metamora Fields Golf Club. ... And speaking of concessions, Metamora announced it sold 800 chops, 240 dogs and 220 brats Friday. ... He’s on the roster, but you won’t see Metamora junior Vince Fraboni on the field. The two-way standout had recent surgery to correct a fractured vertebrae and is out for the season. ... For more on Metamora kicker Brennan VanMieghem and his state record, check out my blog at www.pjstar.com/prepsplus. ....

It’s doubtful there will be another game all season with an ending wackier than that pulled off by Quincy Notre Dame. The M-S 6 favorites, ranked No. 1 in 4A, scored twice in the final 53 seconds to beat Hannibal, Mo. 36-32. The Raiders converted a 13-yard passing TD, a 2-point conversion and recovered an onside kick. Then, from fourth-and-6 with 11 seconds left, converted a 44-yard TD for the win. For a full account of the craziness, visit www.ihsa.org/scores. ... QND wasn’t the only No. 1 tested Friday. 8A No. 1 Maine South lost 29-18 to unranked Schaumburg and 6A No. 1 New Lenox-Providence lost 16-14 to unranked Chicago Morgan Park. ...

Washington showed good balance — 238 yard passing, 208 rushing — in its 35-16 win over Central. But the Panthers also showed what they could be missing most this year: a kicking game. After five TDs, Washington converted just one kicking PAT. ... A 61-yard TD reception against Washington confirmed the word on Central senior Deontray Dorsey. He’s a high school version of Devin Hester. “He’s a threat to score every time he gets the ball,” Lions coach Tim Thornton said of the slippery wideout/kick returner. ... Traditionally known for its clock-eating drives, Richwoods looked diversified and deadly in its 53-21 win over Pekin. Eight players scored on plays that ranged from 9 to 65 yards, with four of those 36 yards or more. “With our speed, we have several kids who can go all the way when they touch it,” Knights coach Roland Brown said. ...

Limestone coach Rich Turner seems to have a good sense of humor. The Ohio native laughs a lot when he talks, and the new Rockets coach had plenty to be happy about this week. “The kids were hitting pretty hard,” Turner said after the Rockets beat Notre Dame 21-12. “And that score doesn’t reflect the game. We dominated them.” ... Speaking of Limestone, is Dunlap the new Limestone? Or maybe the new Pekin? The Eagles threw it 25 times in a 35-7 win over IVC. “We want to be 50/50 (run-pass),” Eagles coach Brett Cazalet said. “But we’re confident with either. I’m not the least bit hesitant to put the ball in the air.” ... In contrast, Morton ran it 69 times in its 32-8 win over Normal U-High. The Potters moved the chains 29 times, the most first downs of any M-S6/M-I team in Week 1. “There were a lot of 4-yard plays and a cloud of dust,” said Morton coach Jason Thiry, who got his first win as a varsity coach.